Aela Read online

  With these words, Ardu strode off, leaving Eena with her own thoughts of how she could further turn the present events to her advantage.

  CHAPTER 6

  The Pause

  There was a calmness spreading over the forest that night, as if the earth sighed with relief, knowing at sunrise, not only animals, but birds and insects would be stirring again. Humans would be on the restless prowl, pitting their strength and power against each other. Silently the scouts walked their way through the trees, being very careful not to make a sound. Every now and again, the head scout, Ayab paused to listen for any unusual noises ahead or around of him. It was during this period that the other men would stop and stand like statues, until they got the signal from Ayab to move on again.

  Just in front of the party, there was a faint sound of horses blowing their nostrils, as they too, were picking up the scent of the scouts. All men stood perfectly still, hardly daring to breathe. A quick signal by Ayab was given for everyone to lie flat on the ground and not to move any muscle of their bodies.

  Then Ayab wriggled his torso on the ground, moving slowly forwards through the undergrowth, so he could determine whether the enemy was directly in their path. Whilst parting a few branches, Ayab found himself looking down a shallow embankment, where there were a number of horses tethered by their reins to the overhanging branches of a clump of trees. He looked around to see whether there were any movements of soldiers, but to his relief, there did not appear to be anyone near the animals.

  He then began to move closer, by slowly crawling along the ground again, and carefully parting any bushes that were in his way. Suddenly, a guard appeared standing near one of the horses, so Ayab lay still for a short time, with his face flat on the earth. When he thought it was safe to look through the shrubbery, towards where the horses were tethered, Ayab raised his head but he could not see any guards nearby. Ayab continued to look in that direction for some time, before he started crawling forward again.

  Very soon, he heard the soft murmur of voices and he could see a group of men sitting in a rough circle talking to each other. One of the men stood up, stretching his arms and legs.

  ‘I will go and relieve Nua from sentry duty and don’t drink all the wine whilst I am away.’ He walked off towards the direction of where the horses were tethered and the other soldiers continued talking and drinking wine.

  Ayab was determined to move closer, so that he could hear more clearly what the men were saying to each other. But he must be extra cautious, as the horses could pick up his human smell and all would be lost if he was discovered. So, instead of moving forwards, Ayab decided to take a circular route, crawling on the ground, slowly getting closer to the group of men, so he could hear their conversation once more.

  By the time he was in earshot of the group, Ayab was exhausted and he had great difficulty breathing quietly. So he placed his fists in his mouth in order to deaden the sound of his breathing.

  Suddenly he felt the heavy pressure of a hand grabbing his right shoulder and a voice shouting in his ear, ‘And who are you, and what are you doing here?’

  Ayab could feel the sharp edge of a sword digging into his flesh at the base of his skull. ‘Don’t hurt me, my name is Ayab and I come in peace.’

  ‘That is hard to believe, sneaking up to our camp sliding on your belly like a snake, as though you were planning an attack on us.’

  Ayab was roughly hauled to his feet and marched towards the other soldiers sitting around the fire. ‘Look what I have found lurking in the grass, spying on us!’

  Everyone stared at Ayab with hostility and suspicion, ‘Let’s kill him now,’ said one of the soldiers.

  ‘That is not a bad idea, but first we must find out why he is sneaking up on us and whether there are further warriors hiding nearby to attack us. Your name is Ayab and who do you belong to – Eena or Juno’s side? Speak or I will kill you now with my sword.’

  Ayab was in a dilemma, as to what to say to this question, as his main concern was to not to be killed. ‘I come in peace my friends.’

  There was a loud burst of laughter coming from the men. ‘Do you really think we are going to believe you, speak the truth now or I will plunge my sword into you’ yelled one of the soldiers in his ear.

  ‘I am an advance scout for Brude’s army, and who do you belong to Eena or Juno’s side?’ stated Ayab.

  There was a silence amongst the men as they heard these words. ‘We are Eena’s men,’ said one of the soldiers. ‘We were recently defeated by Brude’s army and we have taken refuge in the forest until Eena and Ardu work out a plan to storm our Cave and retake our territory again.’

  ‘Perhaps I can help in this matter,’ Ayab hastily replied. ‘Take me to Eena immediately so we can work something out.’

  The soldiers exchanged significant looks and they then nodded their heads in unison. One of them replied, ‘Come with me Ayab and I will take you to Eena and Ardu. But first I must blindfold you, as I do not trust you at all.’

  A piece of cloth was produced by another soldier and this was placed over Ayab’s eyes and then tied behind his head. The men broke camp very quickly and Ayab was guided by a soldier placed on each side of him, as they proceeded to walk through the forest once more.

  Not very far away, Eena and Ardu were encamped with the remains of their army sitting around numerous small fires, talking in low whispers amongst themselves.

  ‘Ardu, we must do something, very soon otherwise my men will lose heart and desert me.’ complained Eena.

  ‘I know all that. I need more time to think out the next strategy,’ Ardu impatiently replied. ‘We are fast running out of food and we have no means of knowing what Brude’s next move will be with his army. He may be tracking us down at this very moment.’

  There was a sudden movement near one of the group of men and someone was seen running through the trees shouting, ‘Eena, Eena, and Ardu we have taken a prisoner and he has important news for you.’

  Very soon Ayab was standing blindfolded in front of Eena and Ardu.

  ‘Who is this man?’ demanded Eena.

  ‘My name is Ayab and I am one of Brude’s advance scouts,’ replied Ayab.

  ‘Take off the blindfold immediately, so I can have a close look at him.’ commanded Eena. Eena carefully scrutinised Ayab’s face. ‘I do not know this man. How do I know you are telling me the truth? You could be a spy for Juno.’

  ‘No I am not a spy for Juno I am in the advance party for Brude,’ stated Ayab.

  ‘Where are you going? Why are you in the advance party? What is Brude’s plan?’ retorted Eena.

  There was a silence from Ayab, as he pondered on his next reply. ‘Brude is planning to invade Juno’s territory. He wants to take the Sacred Sword from the Temple of the Sun,’ hastily Ayab spluttered.

  Both Eena and Ardu looked at each other significantly, but remained silent.

  ‘Perhaps Brude may strike an alliance with you if you join forces with him,’ continued Ayab.

  There was a very deep silence, nobody moved or spoke for awhile. Then Eena issued an order, ‘Guards take this man away, feed him, but guard him with your lives, but do not let him escape otherwise your necks will be cut through.’

  Ayab was quickly taken away by two guards, before Eena could think of a more grizzly death for them, if Ayab managed to escape from their clutches.

  ‘We now have the answer to what our next plan will be,’ Eena exclaimed with glee. So the two walked a little further into the forest talking all the time in muffled whispers, lest the trees themselves overhead their plans.

  ‘I think the best move is to organise a meeting with Brude as soon as possible and use Ayab as a go between.’ exclaimed Ardu.

  ‘Yes, yes,’ replied Eena. ‘We must do this as quickly as possible, before the men lose courage and desert me.’ asserted Eena. ‘Guards bring Ayab before me and make ready to break camp. There is a lot to do before the next sun goes down, where the spirits of the dark come out t
o haunt us,’ gleefully Eena shouted to the sky. ‘Ardu, we shall have victory once more and I shall reign supreme.’ At this thought Eena let out a very loud laugh of sheer joy.

  Once again Eena and Ardu had the chance of victory in their grasp and life was now full of golden opportunities of riches and power, especially if they could get their hands on the Sacred Sword and use its magical powers to their advantage.

  ‘Ardu, organise the men immediately, so we can make arrangements to meet and parley with Brude. We must be very careful, how we handle the terms of agreement with Brude as he is a tricky person, as well as treacherous and breaks promises without warning. We must give him the impression, that we have the Sacred Sword carefully hidden away and that Aela and Rom are our prisoners guarded by an elite number of my best warriors at a secret location. He has already taken over my kingdom and killed or injured many of my best soldiers but somehow we must outwit him,’ asserted Eena.

  Ardu looked at Eena with admiration, ‘You certainly know how to make the best of a bad situation Eena. We will win through yet. I must go and organise the men to break camp quickly, so we are on the way to meet Brude and his army,’ exclaimed Ardu.

  There was frenzied activity, where men and horses were being prepared to move on and very soon Eena’s small army was on the march, heading into the direction of the Temple of the Moon and a meeting with Brude. Ayab was placed amidst a special group of guards, so that he had no chance of escaping. He was at the moment, a very special piece of property that Eena needed to use in her negotiations, in order to obtain in her possession the Sacred Sword. Victory was once more in her grasp and this time she was not going to make any mistakes.

  Ayab had time to think, whilst being marched along, about what next move he was to make, so he would survive. He knew full well that Brude was treacherous and would prefer to have Eena killed so that he could keep her territories, then defeat Juno and his army. So as far as he was concerned, he was no further advanced in gaining his own freedom and he fully realised he must achieve some kind of advantage in this very complex situation.

  Very soon there was a halt ordered by Eena in the march in order to rest the men and horses. Eena ordered Ayab to be brought to her, ‘So which is the best route to take, so that we meet up with Brude and his men?’

  ‘I would suggest to take the track running across the ridges, along the old Sacred Way, the route, that pilgrims used to walk when going to the Temple of the Moon, to worship Athunor, the Goddess of the Moon,’ replied Ayab.

  ‘How do I know that this is not a trap, so that Brude and his men can ambush us,’ retorted Eena.

  ‘Well, then you and your men can use the road that has been made in the valley, whichever way you take, it will lead you to the Temple of the Moon and Brude,’ suggested Ayab.

  Eena walked away from the group, to ponder as to which route to take, as she did not trust Ayab, thinking that he could be leading her into a trap. She eventually decided to use the track along the ridges, the old Sacred Way to the Temple of the Moon. At least, she would have a clear view of anything happening below and had a chance to see the enemy from a raised distance. This would provide a reduced opportunity of being ambushed by the enemy.

  With this thought in mind, she issued the orders to advance and the army was once more marching, along the old path along the ridge. But this time everyone had a clear view below and could see if anyone was using the road in the valley.

  Meanwhile, Brude’s other advanced scouts began to realise that when Ayab had not returned he may have been taken prisoner by the enemy or been killed by a wild bear. So they decided to retreat and return to the main army and report the matter to Brude.

  On hearing of this news Brude was far from happy, as he was hoping to be able to slip through the forest with his men, without any of his enemies knowing what he was doing. He realised that he had come too far to turn back, so he must continue to move forwards.

  As an extra precaution, he once more sent out the advance scouts, to ascertain whether there were any enemies awaiting to attack his army. He was feeling very apprehensive and was constantly looking around for any hidden enemy that may be lurking behind a rock or a tree.

  Very soon, one of the scouts returned, with the information that there was a large group of soldiers, marching along the old ridge road with Eena and Ardu at their head. This news set Brude into a panic spiral, had his plan of attacking the Temple of the Sun become known? Were Eena and Ardu in league with Juno? There was a sudden commotion ahead and out of the undergrowth burst two of his advanced scouts, holding a struggling figure between them. Brude recognised Ayab.

  ‘Where have you been?’ demanded Brude, ‘What news have you got for me?’

  Ayab knelt in front of Brude, ‘Master, I was taken prisoner by Eena and I have escaped with my life. She wishes to parley with you. She is hiding in the forest since you have taken her headquarters. She and Ardu escaped with their lives, with a small contingent of men. Eena wants to join forces with you so she can defeat Juno, as she wants to get back her territory from him.’

  Brude was very surprised with this new information and quickly realised that he could use Eena and her men to his advantage.

  ‘Where does Eena wish to meet me and when? Also how do I know that I can trust you Ayab? What bribe has been offered to you by Eena?’ queried Brude.

  ‘None,’ stated Ayab.

  ‘I find that very hard to believe’ retorted Brude. ‘But, not to worry at this point. If I find out you are treacherous towards me, your end will not be pleasant.’

  ‘Why not meet at the Sacred Hut at the top of the pass. There you can see your enemies clearly and they cannot sneak up on you and take you by surprise,’ suggested Ayab.

  ‘That is exactly what I had in mind,’ snarled Brude. ‘Bring my commanders to me at once and we will plan our strategy and send a courier to Eena, telling her where to meet her and her envoys at the Sacred Hut at next sunrise. You, Ayab will stay at my side as I do not want you running back to Eena, with some idea to double cross me in some way.’

  For the next period of time, Brude was very busy, with his plans to meet and talk with Eena. A messenger was sent to Eena with the invitation to meet Brude at the Sacred Hut at the top of the pass at next sunrise. Brude was determined this time to impress Eena with his strength and power as a mighty leader.

  As the first rays of the sun, began to show over the horizon, Brude stood in front of the Sacred Hut, resplendent in his shining gold armour flanked on either side by his officers. Very soon along the ridge pathway, one could see a general movement of people walking slowly and quietly along the pathway. As they came closer, Brude could see that Eena and Ardu were at the head of the small group.

  An advance scout arrived, with a message from Eena formally requesting a meeting with him. The scout was given the all clear and very soon Eena and Ardu appeared at the agreed meeting place.

  Brude was the first to greet them both, ‘Welcome, Eena and Ardu. It is good to come face to face with you both at long last. I understand your news is not so pleasant’

  ‘Yes, since you ambushed me in my own headquarters many of my soldiers were killed or wounded. Luckily, I was able to escape with a number of my warriors. I understand you are on your way to storm the Temple of the Sun and snatch the Sacred Sword from the inner sanctuary. By joining forces with me you have a greater chance of victory, and in return, I want my territories returned to me,’ demanded Eena.

  ‘You certainly know how to state your terms very clearly,’ exclaimed Brude with a chuckle in his voice.

  ‘I have no choice in the matter as I want victory over Juno, as soon as possible,’ exclaimed Eena.

  ‘How do I know that I can trust you Eena, especially since my men took over your headquarters?’ questioned Brude.

  ‘Well, you will just have to trust me, especially as I have the true Sacred Sword, as well as Aela and Rom as my prisoners, held at a secret place,’ exclaimed, Eena triumphantly.

&n
bsp; Brude was very surprised to hear this information from Eena and he had to think for awhile, before replying. ‘How do I know you have the Sacred Sword, as well as Aela and Rom being held as your prisoners?’

  ‘You will have to take my word for it,’ retorted Eena, tossing her head in the air in defiance.

  Brude angrily glared at Eena and gripped the hilt of his sword, Ardu stepped forward at the same time unsheathing his sword, pointing the tip towards Brude’s chest. There was a heavy silence as the three leaders glared at each other.

  Then, with a swift movement of his hand Brude relaxed his grip on the hilt of his sword and started to laugh loudly, ‘Well, it looks as though I will have to take your word for it, at this stage at least.’

  Ardu loosened his hold on his sword and dropped it back into the scabbard and took a couple steps backwards. There was a sigh of relief all round, amongst the assemblage of officers and everyone relaxed once more.

  ‘Come with me, Eena and Ardu, we will continue our discussions in a more private place for your ears only,’ replied Brude, as he led the way inside a group of thickly wooded trees a short distance away from Brude’s army.

  They were closeted together for sometime and eventually emerged, smiling at each other and took their leave. ‘Do you think you can trust Brude, Eena?’ whispered Ardu, into Eena’s ear.

  Eena gave Ardu, a quizzical stare. ‘Not at all, but we have no other choice at this point. I do not think he has any confidence in us either, so we are even at this stage,’ coolly replied Eena.

  ‘Let us get back to our men and put our plan into action. At all times we must not lose sight of Brude and his army and for the time being this is our only chance of regaining our losses. I want my territory back as soon as possible.’

  Both Eena and Ardu walked speedily down the old sacred pathway, back to their camp. In the meantime Brude summoned Ayab and ordered him to follow Eena and Ardu and her army, with instructions to report back all their movements.

  The next day Brude planned to continue marching towards the Temple of the Sun, as at all cost he must defeat Juno. In return Eena would hand over the Sacred Sword to him, as part of the agreement and he would give back her territories. As far as Brude was concerned any alliance could be broken, at any time, as long as it was to his advantage.